The Plight of a Red State Teacher

I have watched the direction in which our GOP dominated legislature and governor are leading the state regarding education and I am feeling rather hopeless. It’s not just in my state, but public education is in trouble in every red state in the union.

Teacher Hat: How the Oklahoma Government Lies to Teachers

On April 30th, 2015 Michael Dean, a fellow teacher, and I went to the capital to talk to our representatives about state testing, budget cuts, and the many horrors that our anti-public education legislature has levied upon our schools. We spoke specifically to our District 27 representative Josh Cockroft (Republican, of course…it’s Oklahoma) about eliminating

Oklahoma Removes Ten Commandments Because Government Broke Most Of Them

Last week the granite edifice upon which the biblical ten commandments had been etched was removed from the front lawn of the capital building by order of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.  Sure, the news services have told all of us the reason (i.e. separation of church and state), yet the real reason is pretty plain. The

Experts Say Oklahomans Will Vote Republican By Default

Today is the Republican and Democratic primary across Oklahoma, but experts think Oklahomans will vote straight party Republican by default in November.  Researchers and political scientists at the University of Phoenix have come to the conclusion that Oklahoma should probably have a machine at polling stations that simply votes straight party Republican when each citizen

Oklahoma State Superintendant Race: Actual Public School Experience

Experience is something highly prized in the realm of employment, at least in the real world of employment.  It seems that, at least in the state of Oklahoma, people don’t care all that much about electing completely inexperienced people to public office. If I develop brain cancer, I would most likely want to seek out the

The Truth About Janet Barresi

Next Tuesday Oklahoma Republicans will go to the polls to vote in a primary election.  On the ballot is current state superintendent Janet Barresi, who, as her LinkedIn account shows, has exactly a year and 10 months experience in public schools as a speech pathologist.  She is the only candidate on the ballot who has little

Why My Latest Novel Really Does Predict Current Events

Everyone including myself (save the United States government) seems to think that attacking Syria is a terrible idea.  As I write this post President Obama is inching ever closer to a strike against Assad while Russia bolsters its naval forces in the region in an expectation of an attack against their ally.  Not only that,

Generous Benefactors: Why Must Sports Get All The Money?

Today I read a story from the Los Angeles Times about Helen Zell, wife of billionaire Sam Zell who just donated $50 million to the University of Michigan for creative writing programs.  I applaud the Zell’s for their generosity, but this is very rare in the world of philanthropy. Most of the philanthropic efforts being

Raising a Preemie: My Son’s Current Predicament

Yesterday my wife and I took my son Conner to an endocrinologist to discuss the fact that his bone growth is two years behind what it should be.  This is all due to the fact that my son was born at 24 weeks, weighed 1 lb. 8 oz., and was 12 inches long.  The doctor

2 Days Until My Book Releases…Or the World Ends

I received the book back from the proofer (quick job, but thorough) and am finally finished with all the corrections.  Book 3 will hit the Kindle and Nook market on Friday on schedule…unless the world ends. I feel strange since finishing this novel that took about 18 months of my life to complete.  I’m looking